New Equipment

Face of the Future :: Part I

CLEVELAND // LASER BLAST

Catching the eye for its highly novel face markings was the Cleveland CG15 wedge, which features a brand new laser milling technology which – for 2010 at least – is combined with the same monster-size ‘Zip’ grooves of the CG12 model it replaces.

Face of the Future :: Part II

TAYLORMADE // ADJUSTABLE-FACED WEDGE

Following the rise of drivers with adjustable weights, heads and shafts, and putters with similarly variable features at the turn of a wrench, we now have a wedge which takes full advantage of the more relaxed rules on adjustability. The TaylorMade xFT (as in exchangeable face-technology) is a masterpiece of modern engineering which allows you to unscrew and replace the entire face, offering golfers a whole new world of ‘groove management’.

Read more: Face of the Future :: Part II

Long and STR8

NIKE // VICTORY PARADE FOR NIKE’S NEW DRIVERS

Paul Casey let the cat out of the bag as regards Nike’s new drivers by raving about them on his blog following a visit to the Fort Worth HQ a few weeks before Munich. Nevertheless, the two versions of Victory Red drivers and the Machspeed model were among the stars of Golf Europe.

Light and Long

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER DST DRIVER

Ultra-light drivers, with total club weights breaking the 300g barrier, have been a feature of the Japanese market in recent years, with brands like Srixon offering maximum distance for the typically slower-swinging Japanese golfers.

Mac is back

GOLFSMITH // MACGREGOR RELAUNCHES FITTING STYLE

MacGregor has seen some upheavals in recent years, not least the 2007 boardroom coup led by shareholder Greg Norman on the back of a controversial change in design direction by the historic brand. In the subsequent fall out, the Shark himself withdrew from the scene while the UK operation was also a high-profile casualty.

Seve Signature runs to new lines

MD GOLF // ICON IS A BIG HIT

It was just over a year ago that Seve Ballesteros was taken ill on his way to Golf Europe 2008 to launch of his debut signature range for MD Golf. And while, 12 months on, Seve himself has thankfully been continuing his recovery, the clubs which bear his name have been enjoying recession-defying success. So much so that the whole range is being upgraded and extended for 2010.

Read more: Seve Signature runs to new lines

The Half 'n' Half Shaft

WILSON // STEEL/GRAPHITE BREAKTHROUGH

The new D-FY Combo set from Wilson adopts the hybrid concept in every sense. In terms of set composition we have the latest ultra-forgiving blend of hybrid wood technology at the long end, moving to hollow-cored mid-range clubs and high-tech perimeter-weighting at the short end.

A new generation

MIZUNO // MP58 IS A STAND-OUT FOR 2010

Devotees of Mizuno’s forging heritage are in for something of a treat with no fewer than four brand new MP Series models introduced into the line-up for 2010. At the sharp end of the range, the company with a long-standing heritage in forging pure blades has improved on its flagship players’ model in the beguiling shape of the MP68 – a truly gorgeous piece of craftsmanship that will have sharp-shooters drooling over curvaceous lines that wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalk.

Mizuno MP-T10

The MP T10 wedges could be the best-looking Mizuno has ever produced, and have been crafted in line with the most common custom grind and shaping requests in tour workshops. The headshape is a slightly more compact version of the MP-T model, and with a bevelled top edge the effect is stunning, especially in the RAW Black Satin finish.

Back in Black

ADAMS // DUSKY BEAUTIES

The rising popularity of wedges in a variety of black, gunmetal and other anti-glare finishes has spread to some stylish full sets of irons in recent years. Joining the lavish Cleveland Black Pearl and Bridgestone J36 Limited Edition, among our personal favourites, are the similarly seductive Idea Pro Black irons from Adams Golf, clearly targeted to discerning low-handicappers.

Taking a firm stance

ODYSSEY // WHITE ICE PUTTERS

It’s fascinating how a supposedly innocuous change in the golf equipment rules can have such a knock-on effect elsewhere in the industry. We’ve seen how the spectre of lower-spinning 2010 grooves have prompted higher-spinning balls. Well, in turn, these necessarily softer-feeling ball constructions are already prompting firmer putter inserts to restore the sensitive feel that discerning players demand at impact.

Say you want a revolution!

CALLAWAY // CLASS OF 2010

One of the biggest surprises at Munich was Callaway’s decision to downgrade its commitment to square-head technology which has been the source of so much debate between purists and modernists over the last few years.

In place of those flagship square designs that peaked with last year’s FT-iQ, Callaway launch a new family of FT-iZ drivers, fairways and hybrids sporting a radical new shape that, while certainly contemporary is, if anything, more triangular than boxy.

Pulling Away

TROLLEYS // FORMULA 1 STYLE HIGH-TECH FOR GOLF

Gordon Brown famously promised “British jobs for British workers” so he’d no doubt be impressed by the Golfstream company whose Revolution powered trolley is not just assembled in Blighty but designed here using British-sourced components.

Playing Soft

GOLF BALLS AIMING TO RECLAIM THAT 'LOST' SPIN
As we’ve seen with some intricate wedge offerings, the main challenge for golf scientists is how to compensate for the reduction in spin and control implied by the R&A/USGA’s roll-back in groove technology. In addition to club technology, attention in this regard is also shifting to the golf ball itself, as demonstrated by the latest offerings from TaylorMade, Callaway and Wilson.